Mount Asama, one of Japan's largest and most active volcanoes, erupted almost continuously for a third straight day Thursday, spewing molten rocks and gray smoke into the air and setting off more than 1,000 tiny earthquakes. The mountain rumbled throughout the day, propelling red-hot rocks nearly 1,000 feet into the air and sending columns of smoke rose nearly 4,000 feet above the volcanic crater, the Meteorological Agency said. "The small eruptions are nearly continuous," it said. The volcano also rained ash on Karuizawa, a resort town about six miles away. By Thursday evening, the eruptions caused 1,054 tiny tremors, the agency estimated. The Meteorological Agency maintained its activity rating for Mount Asama at 3 on a scale of 5, designating it a small- to medium-sized eruption.
I'm a sucker for the Angry Planet stories. Here's a great photo link to volcanic activity. |